Evan Abramson

Reportage: A Hunger for Land

Carumbey I, Lima district, San Pedro--October 25, 2008--The story of Luis Rodríguez (left) and Francisco Avalo (right) is typical of members of Paraguay's landless movement: as part of the Christian Agrarian League in the 1970s and 1980s, they were persecuted and tortured during Paraguay's 35-year dictatorship; the land where they live now with their families was obtained by settling unused tropical forest belonging to the government. Today they are fighting against the intrusion of industrial soybean farming in their communities. Both farm primarily for their family's own consumption, producing corn, yucca, rice, sweet potato, plantains, fruit, vegetables and raising livestock. Unlike many other Latin American countries, most of Paraguay's population is still rural based and are farmers by trade.
Carumbey I, Lima district, San Pedro--October 25, 2008--The story of Luis Rodríguez (left) and Francisco Avalo (right) is typical of members of Paraguay's landless movement: as part of the Christian Agrarian League in the 1970s and 1980s, they were persecuted and tortured during Paraguay's 35-year dictatorship; the land where they live now with their families was obtained by settling unused tropical forest belonging to the government. Today they are fighting against the intrusion of industrial soybean farming in their communities. Both farm primarily for their family's own consumption, producing corn, yucca, rice, sweet potato, plantains, fruit, vegetables and raising livestock. Unlike many other Latin American countries, most of Paraguay's population is still rural based and are farmers by trade.